Pie Gals

Every week (almost!) I sit down to a homemade dinner, a bottle of wine and I watch Sex and the City with two of my favorite people. This past week I made a healthier version of chicken pot pie and a normal, fattening version of chocolate peanut butter pie.


Healthy Chicken Pot Pie 
adapted from Everyday Food


Ingredients
- 2 bone-in chicken breasts
- olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 2 small onions, chopped
- dried thyme
- phyllo dough
- 2 1/2 cups of lowfat milk
- juice of one lemon (2 tblsp)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly; discard skin and bones. Shred meat, and set aside.

While chicken is roasting, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add carrots, onion, and thyme; season with salt and pepper, and cook until carrots are crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer and thickens.

Remove from heat; stir in peas, lemon juice, and chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Pour filling into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.

Stack phyllo on a work surface. Using a paring knife, cut out an 11-inch circle from the stack; discard trimmings. Stack 2 circles on work surface, and brush gently with 1 teaspoon oil; repeat with remaining circles and oil. Place phyllo stack over filling, and press down about 1/2 inch from the edge so phyllo fits inside rim of pie plate. Bake until golden and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Let potpie cool 15 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

30 chocolate wafer cookies
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 envelope (1/4 oz) unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped peanuts


Directions: 



1. Preheat oven to 350. Place cookies in a food processor, and process until finely ground (you should have 1-3/4 cups); add butter, and pulse until moistened. Transfer crumb mixture to a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides (use bottom of a dry measuring cup to help). Bake until fragrant and set, 15 to 20 minutes; let cool completely. Wipe food processor clean, and reserve.


2. Place 1/4 cup cold water in a small saucepan; sprinkle with gelatin. Set aside to soften, 5 to 10 minutes.


3. In food processor, combine sugar and peanut butter; process until smooth. Add cream; process until mixture is light and holds soft peaks, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.


4. Heat softened gelatin over very low heat, stirring, just until dissolved. Add to peanut butter mixture in food processor; blend to combine. Transfer filling to cooled crust, and smooth top.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Eat these and listen to "Get Outta My Way" by Kylie Minogue

Hello everyone! Remember the days when I used to actually cook and write about it on this blog? Well, hey, I baked you something. A lot of little somethings, actually. Tomorrow is my last official day of work at the PR agency, so I'm baking them red velvet cupcakes. The two perfect cupcakes go to my boss, Jason, and my coworker Eric. These cupcakes are really fluffy and not too sweet, but trust me, the frosting makes up for it!

Red Velvet Cupcakes (adapted from Epicurious)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature/softened

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 eggs

2 oz red food coloring (I only used .03 oz)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

2 oz. water

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

3. Add eggs and blend well.

4. Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring and add to the butter mixture.

5. Sift flour and salt together into this mixture.

6. One at a time, add the following ingredients: buttermilk, vanilla, and water.

7. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda. Fold it into the cake batter. Make sure it's incorporated, but don't beat it.

8. Pour the batter into the cupcake tins. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched.

9. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn the cupcakes out of the tins and onto a rack to finish cooling completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions: Beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat. Add the powdered sugar until the frosting is fluffy. Frost your cupcakes!